Demigod Treasure Hunter: The Labyrinth
by Sage Nicholson
Summary: Unfortunately, my little trip underground does not involve David Bowie dancing around singing "Magic Dance". Nor is every monster I find down there just a puppet.
1. Preface

**Hello my loyal followers, it is I, your High Priest of the Cult of Fanfiction, back for another session of worship! Nah, I'm just kidding, it's me Sage Nicholson.**

 **If you've read any of my other stories, welcome back! If this is your first time reading one of my fanfics, nice to meet you! Let me get you caught up.**

 **So. (Ahem). My story involves OCs.**

 **(instantly half of you leave this fanfiction to read one about Percabeth)**

 **No! Wait! Don't go! She's not a Mary Sue, I promise! Well, I hope. After all, I've written three stories about this character so far, all of which I suggest you read beforehand so that you actually know what the heck is going on. One of which, btw is a crossover with Young Justice and not technically cannon, so you can disregard it if you want to.**

 **But anyway. The basics.**

 **So basically, this story is a sort of AU, in that disregards the Trials of Apollo series. It takes place in the early fall after the war with the giants, and everything is pretty peaceful with the demigod world. At least, on the surface.**

 **My main OC is a daughter of Hermes named Emma Lee, but I also have a few secondary OCs along for the ride. You can find their bios in the first chapter of my first book, because I'm far too lazy to reprint them here.**

 **Well, that's that, I hope you enjoy. And review. And if you don't enjoy you can still review, because I appreciate conductive criticism.**

 **-Sage**


	2. Chapter 1

**I got nothing to say but disclaimers.**

* * *

My week starts off as you'd expect. Horrible.

I wake up late and have to wait in an hour line for the showers, which, as you'd expect in a bunk as full as Cabin 11, are a valuable commodity.

Then, Leo comes up to me at breakfast and tells me he isn't going to be able to make practices because of some double date with Piper and Jason, which means I have no sparring partner.

Oh, yea, did I mention Leo Valdez is back from the dead? He and his girlfriend Calypso just showed up at Camp one day*. And I can't say I didn't know it was going to happen, because I'd met up with him in Yellowstone about a week and a half ago. And I can't say I've hated it. To be honest, I'm glad to have an ally who isn't as blackmailed as I am close.

But anyway, because Leo is away, I either have to triple up with another pair, or, more likely, duel the instructor. Who was Clarisse LaRue. No thank you.

So I decide to skip the misery of practice the easiest way you can: by slipping off into the forest. Of course, once you're there, you need a place to hang out for the next coupla' hours. So, I'm headed to mine, a tiny little pond at the end of a brook with suprisingly good reception when the trouble _really_ starts.

You see, when I get there, all my friends are waiting for me. And I have the distinct feeling they're not here to throw me a month late suprise party. Mostly because another person is there too. Mark, the Germani who works for Caligula. Great.

Despite this, Skylar still waves happily when she saw me. As always, she looks exceptionally well put together, her makeup perfect, her hair intricately braided. However, the sweater she's wearing is clearly not her own (it's got an LA Chargers Insignia). It belongs to a cabin mate named Mitchell. Mark must have grabbed her in a hurry. Next to her,

Elliot does not look so obliviously happy. He keeps glancing back at Mark in terror. I sit down between him and Angeline, and I realize he's shaking. Poor guy. All he wanted was to take a road-trip vacation across America. The result of his idea was him and me being caught on footage fleeing a "terrorist bombing" of a national park, and the subsequent blackmail.

"Hey." I nod in the direction of her (Angeline) and Luca. he gives me an impatient and irritated grunt in return (so, nothing new there), but she just sits there, eyes down, hands clasped, deep in thoughts.

I plaster a fake smile on my face and give the finger gun to the hulking Germanus behind me. "Mark! Buddy! How ya been, man?" He stares at me blankly. Yeesh. Well that was cold.

We sit there for five uncomfortable minutes. To keep my ADHD mind entertained, I tap my legs rhythmically, play with my Camp necklace, and make small talk.

"So... Angeline... how was boarding school?" She gives me an unfocused glare as I snap her out of her trance.

"Fine..." she mutters. Poor Angeline. She dreaded the idea of going to Sacremento Prep. Said it was "a prison full of rich brats." They even made her re-dye her bleach blonde. Thank God.

Speaking of Caligula... The Germani stands to attention (as if he could stand any straighter) as Skidvin the Homo lacerta steps out of the shadows, the aformentioned tyrant by his side.

Caligula looks a bit, different, from when we last saw him. No more could he pass for a tall, lanky college student. Not in that Imperial toga. He also looks happier, smiling like a little kid and practically bouncing up and down in excitement. But his amber eyes still have the same maniacal gleam they had last summer.

"How nice of everybody to show up for this little expedition!" He says with a jovial grin. "I'm so happy you all decided to come to this mandatory trip! I can't wait to have an adventure with you!"

Elliot takes a shaky breath. "Wh-where are you taking us?"

Caligula gives another horrifying smile. "Down the rabbit hole! That's a reference. To Alice and Wonderland. Do you get it? I saw when it was first in theaters. What a great movie! I really sympathize with the Queen of Hearts, she's just so misunderstood!"

"So, we're going down to the labyrinth, basically." I interrupt his ramblings. He glares, and it feels like I've had eighty ice cubes dropped down my shirt.

"Exactly. So let's get moving, chop chop!" He and Skidvin start to walk away, gesturing for us to follow.

Luca stands abruptly, gluestick/sword in hand. "Hold it. There's five of us and three of you, and nobody's being held at gunpoint this time. What the hell makes you think we'll just follow you?" I take my own gluestick out.

Caligula starts to laugh. "Forgetting about my royal entourage, are we?" he snaps his fingers and a dozen Homo Lacerta appear out of nowhere. I guess they can camouflage themselves like giant chameleons. They pull out an assortment of weapons, maces, clubs, axes. We wouldn't stand a chance surrounded on all sides like this.

"Of course, you can also be held at gun point too, if you'd like that." Caligula finished smugly. "Everybody ready? Good. Let's head to the van! We're going to Waterbury!"

* * *

 ***This is a retcon from my YJ/PJO AU crossover.**

 **I'm so glad to be back everybody! My friend the Other Sage Nicholson (aka Chromematic) has been helpfully nagging me to start a new story for weeks! Thanks Other Sage!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey people! Thanks to Flippityflop for the reviews and critiques, which I'll be sure to keep in mind.**

* * *

It's only after the Lacerta march us to across the woods to a nearby road and crowd us into the back of a very suspect white van (how did Caligula get into camp in the first place? Oh, right, he's got "allies") that it really strikes me how serious the situation is. It's kind of like on the last week of summer vacation, you know school's starting tomorrow, but deep down you're still pretending you've got plenty of time left. It's not until your mom's waking you up and hurrying you out the door that it hits you. And when it hits you, it hits you like a ton of bricks.

So here I am, driving God knows where in this very squashed backseat, and I start having a mild panic attack. And by mild I mean nowhere as bad as the one Elliot is having. Skylar pats him on the shoulder as he tries to hold back tears.

"It's not okay Skylar! I was in the middle of school when they grabbed me! My parents are probably freaking out! They're gonna ground me for life! If I even get back home!" Elliot's curly hair is sticking out at odd angles and his cheeks are red with embarrassment. He also has a nasty bruise on his arm. I'm gonna kill those freaks.

"Don't worry Elliot. We'll get out of this together. I won't let anything happen to you. You're like a little brother to me." Yeesh. Not the best thing to tell a boy whose had a crush on you for years. He lays his head in his hands and groans softly.

"Do any of you know where we're going? Hey, jacka**, where we going?!" Luca yells to the maniacal psycho in the passengers seat. I facepalm.

"Didn't you hear the guy? He said Waterbury." I say.

Luca growls "Yea, well I'm not from Waterbury."

"It's in Connecticut, idiot."

"No s***!" Because when tensions are high, Luca and I always deteriorate to bickering. It's familiarity is almost comforting.

"You think I don't know what Connecticut is?" he bellows.

"I don't think you know what a state is!" I counter.

"Guys, guys, please! Let's not go through this again!" Skylar interjects.

"EVERYBODY JUST SHUT THE HELL UP, RIGHT NOW!" Angeline screeches at the top of her lungs. It's so loud even the two silent-treatment givers in the front seat take notice, and especially jarring since she hasn't said a word the entire trip.

"Your Majesty," she says sweetly to Caligula, like she didn't almost break the bulletproof glass on the windows, "I'd like to make a deal."

He laughed condescendingly. "You're in no position to be making deals."

"Oh," she replies, "I think you'll like this one.", and now I'm wondering exactly what Angie's got up her sleeve.

" _Ego volo est_ , I'm interested." He says in a manner that conveys his is most certainly not.

"Great. But first I need to speak to my team. _In private_."

He snorts in disbelief. "How dumb do you think I am? You better not think I'm dumb." his voice has an edge of madness that makes me shudder. If I were Angie, I'd back off right about now. But she doesn't. Instead she stares him down.

"Your Majesty, I have no doubt of your intelligence. But I need to inform my friends about this deal I have planned."

"Yes, inform them of this 'deal', which no doubt involves a futile attempt to escape, resulting in a lot of inconvenience."

"What exactly could we do?" She counters. "We're surrounded, outnumbered and totally outclassed. I just want to talk to my friends. Please."

"Fiine." he whines like a bratty kid. "Men, give them a moment." With unwavering deadpan, the lizard men militaristically stick their fingers in their ear(holes) and close their eyes.

Angeline faces us. "Ok," she whispers, "I have a plan. I'm going to make a deal with him. But you've got to trust me."

"Angeline, what is wrong with you?!" I whisper-yell. "We don't make deals with terrorists!"

She glares. "Emma, for God's sake, start taking this seriously! I have a plan, and in the end it's going to be the best thing we can do. But you're not going to think that at first. I need to know you'll trust me."

"I trust you." Elliot says earnestly.

"I know that, but I need conformation. So I'm asking you all to swear on Styx that you'll agree to the terms of this deal, no matter what you think of them."

We look at each other, uncertain.

"Swear. On Styx." She says through gritted teeth.

"I swear on Styx." Elliot says quickly.

"Me to- I mean, I swear on Styx." says Skylar.

"I swear on Styx." I say. Angeline's the smartest person I know, if anyone can get us out of this, it's her.

"I swear on Styx." Luca finishes.

Angeline smiles. "We've reached an agreement!" she calls out.

"Oh Goody." says the nutter in the passenger's seat.

"We'd like to share it with you now." She adds. Where did this 'we' business come from?

"I'm listening. For now."

Angie begins. "In exchange for letting-" He cuts her off.

"No. You're not leaving."

"Let me finish! In exchange for letting _four_ of us go, one of us will stay behind as your steadfast servant."

Wait.

What?!

He snorts. He snorts a lot. It's kind of annoying. "Why would I give up for _servi_ for just one?"

"Because this servant won't be bound to you by blackmail. He or she will be bound to you by a Styx swear. They'll have to carry out any order you give them."

"That's bull!" Luca yells. "Angeline, you never told us _this_ was your plan! I refuse!"

She turns to him calmly. "You can't. You made a Styx vow, remember?" her expression changes to one of remorse. "Look, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Yes one of us will have to take the vow, but the rest of us will go free. It's really selfless."

"Oh, and I suppose you're going to take the fall?" I rebuke sarcastically.

She sputters. "Well... I mean..."

"Yeah, didn't think so." Luca mutters.

"Look, I made a tactical decision-"

"No, you made an attempt to save your own a**!"

"I have a future! Half of you don't! I'm going to boarding school! I like it! I have a life planned out for me and I want to live it!" she started to cry. I started to fume.

Caligula started to clap his hands. "Bravo, such drama, such _pathos_ , as the Greeks would say. You have yourself a deal, Ms. Nakamura! I even swear on Styx! However, it seems obvious to me that you five are in no shape to choose who the sacrificial lamb will be, so..." He began to point. "Eeny meeny moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers let him go eeny meeny miney..." for a moment, it hovers on Angeline, who's crying, then Luca, who's red with anger, then the shaking Elliot, then Skylar, who looks incredibly hurt and confused, until it lands on me. "Moe." he says smugly.

I turn as white as a sheet. I try to speak but all that comes out is hoarse whisper. "Why..."

He shrugs. "What can I say? You insulted me the first time we met." his nonchalant expression changes to that of cold rage. "I _never_ forget an insult." Immediately it switches back to nonchalant. "Plus, your lock picking talent can come in handy. Alright, everybody out!"

He pulls the van over and roughly shoves all my friends out. I try to follow but two of the lizard men grab me by the shoulders and hold me back. Skylar stares at me with pity. Luca looks like he'll blow a gasket any second. Angeline stops crying and stands stoically. Elliot just looks relieved to have escaped.

"Oh, I'd like to add one more bit to the deal." Caligula calls out. "None of you can breath a word of what happened here for the rest of your life. Have we got ourselves a deal?"

Angeline looks up. "Yes, yes we do."

The doors close, the van drives away and I'm left inside, betrayed, alone and angry.

* * *

 **Wow, that got dark fast!**


End file.
